3bo: Code for dining perfection

June 28, 2006

By BOB CANNING
FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER

Did you ever go to an upscale restaurant and feel as if you didn't quite fit in? Perhaps it started with the greeting you received upon arrival from an officious maitre d' who seemed to "inspect" your appropriateness when you showed up without making reservations, or maybe it was the funereal formality of the setting. Been there. And I'm sure you have too.

What a find, then, to discover 3bo! That's short for Three Blocks Off Petaluma Boulevard, not the name of C-3PO's droid cousin. 3bo has taken over the former La Famiglia Restaurant, and the change is a bit of a culture shock. You push open the frosted-glass swinging door and find yourself on a page of Architectural Digest.

To your right is a small waiting area with clubby upholstered chairs. The bar is a long gleaming corrugated-steel affair with black leather-backed stools; chairs of brushed steel partner up with tables that are resplendent with crisp white napkins folded rabbit-ear style in tall, stemmed wine glasses.

Hanging in the entryway are sheer, flowing curtains in antique white, and at the paneled windows overlooking Liberty Street, diaphanous drapes in mustard and gray stripes flutter ethereally whenever the door opens, as if to announce the impending arrival of Scherherazade. Despite its cool, sophisticated trappings, 3bo gives off a comfortable vibe. Nothing stuffy or overstuffed here.

Our waiter, Jeremiah, warmly welcomed my friends, Steve and Anne, and me, even though we dared show up on a Saturday evening without prior reservations. Jeremiah proved to be a professional with a capital "P," not a teen fresh out of high school or someone between "real jobs."

He knew practically every ingredient that Chef Ryan Schroeder used in the preparation of our meals, and was most obliging in helping us make our food and beverage choices.

Schroeder, who worked with Jay Veregge, executive chef for the Wolf House Restaurant in Glen Ellen, says owners Gary & Linda Tennyson "engaged me as a consultant to create a menu, hire the staff and get the place up and running. I liked what it became and decided to stay."

Anne passed on starters, but Steve chose a cream of mushroom soup dotted with truffle oil. It was light and flavorsome with the texture of liquid silk. I chose the steamed black mussels with bits of linguica sausage in a nice saffron broth, and the flavors were most complimentary. There were so many tender mussels, I was able to share several with my two most appreciative tablemates.

Anne's brined pork chop and port demi-sec ($19) was two inches thick and had the texture of the most-tender filet mignon -- her knife seemed to virtually melt through the meat. It came with a beautiful polenta-stuffed baked apple and ginger ale carrots. Steve's Liberty duck breast with molasses ($23) was plump and succulent with a crispy skin. Accompanying it were cured yams and rosemary green beans.

Whenever salmon appears on the menu, it's a good bet that it will be my choice. One should always inquire if the salmon is wild or farm-raised. If it's the latter, throw it back. Who needs all those toxins? But 3bo's wild salmon filet, coated with sun-dried tomato, minced parsley, sea salt, lemon peel ($21), was the finest I have had in many years.

The filet rested atop citrus mashed potatoes subtly infused with pressed Meyer lemon oil. At Jeremiah's suggestion, I paired it with a nice glass of New Zealand chardonnay. 3bo offers 17 by-the-glass wines, and 40 reasonably priced bottled wines. It makes more sense to order by the bottle, but I was the only wine drinker that night.

Of the three meals, it was impossible to pick a favorite. They were all winners.

So were the desserts. Steve reveled in his butterscotch brioche bread pudding with vanilla gelato. I don't know what you expect from your bread pudding, but Schroeder's creation was light and delicious. Anne chose a cooling collection of seasonal sorbets of peach, pear and champagne flavors. Yours truly opted for six mini-biscotti served with a dusting of confectioners sugar and a fine Spanish sherry. It may not have highlighted Schroeder's culinary talents, but it was, nevertheless, a most pleasant way to end a perfect meal.

Service was impeccable, or as Steve noted, "graceful." No sooner had a fork or spoon been set down, when the busboy would be at your side, asking permission to take and replace your utensils. At one point, while waiting for dessert, I refilled my own glass of water from the clear glass bottle left on the table at the beginning of the evening. I happened to look up, and beheld the crestfallen face of our busboy, reacting as if I had presumptuously taken over his duties. He was there in an instant, pouring more water for the others.

If there is any nitpick, we three found ourselves disagreeing all evening with the slippery wafer-thin seat cushions underbutt. But in the grand scheme of things, it amounted to a minor bruise on the skin of an apple in an otherwise magnificent horn of plenty.

In a recent PD review of an old-fashioned French restaurant in Santa Rosa, critic Jeff Cox rued the chef's habitual use of the unhealthy "buttery and egg-yokey sauces" of a bygone era. Cox went on to say there was nothing impassioned about the food, "no creative culinary spark inspiring the preparations." I would hope Mr. Cox visits 3bo soon to sample Schroeder's inspired, impassioned creations, and know the meals here are as delicious as they are healthy. According to Schroeder, the menu changes as produce becomes available. Now that's fresh.

The Tennysons, who owned La Famiglia for four years, deserve a toast with the finest champagne. If they wanted to make a statement, they made one of infinite good taste.

Open only a couple of months, 3bo already ranks among the finest restaurants in Sonoma County in my book. Imagine what it's going to be like after some more seasoning. Go!

(Contact Bob Canning at argus@arguscourier.com)

3BO

Cuisine: California bistro

Hours: Closed Tuesday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; Happy Hour: 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday; check for upcoming brunch announcement.

Ambiance: Upscale casual

Wheelchair-accessible? Yes

Child-friendly? Will accommodate.

Prices: $$$$

Location: 220 Western Ave.

Phone: 778-8211

Web site: www.3blocksoff.com

Takeout/catering: Yes

Reservations: Recommended